The Return
by arizony
Summary: There have been several authors who have written stories to explain what happened between Katara and Aang immediately after Ozai and Azula were vanquished. This is my offering on the subject. I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or characters.
1. Chapter 1

There are several stories written by several authors (including myself) trying to fill in the "gap" and explore how Aang and Katara got past the scene in Ember Island Players to the kiss in the final episode. I was intrigued by a scene in Rast's story, "The Price of Falling", where Zuko and Iroh work to help Katara and Aang realize their love for each other is mutual. This is another offering looking at that subject….

The Return

It was nearly evening, and a young man and young woman were sitting near the edge of an extinct volcano. There was smoke emanating from the center of the crater, but it wasn't the volcano which was causing it. There was a large palace and upper class homes in the bottom of the crater. The smoke was coming from several of the houses, which were still smoldering following a battle between the two young adults and a third who was presently residing in a special holding cell in the royal prison. As they sat watching the sky, the young man, whose visage was marred by a burn scar over the left half of his face, glanced toward the girl. Her hair was blowing gently in the wind, but her face seemed like the face of someone who bore a great heartache and burden.

"Katara, you seem pretty gloomy, almost as gloomy as Mai can be sometimes. I thought, what with us defeating Azula, you would be happy, at least a little bit. What's wrong?"

"Nothing much, except that, while I can hold my own in a fight, I seem to ruin the things that mean the most to me…I mean, he left, partly because we wouldn't…I wouldn't listen to him, and now he may never come back to me. I let him down and I never got to tell him I was sorry….and, now, I may never get to do it. He's trying to save the world, and he may not get to enjoy it. He may not come back…and the last things I said to him weren't the words of encouragement and concern he should have heard from me. They were words of anger and criticism…."

The Fire Prince, Zuko (for that is who the young man was), looked at her, the concern evident in his eyes.

"You're talking about Aang, aren't you?" he asked.

"Back on Ember Island, he asked me about how I felt about him. I told him I was confused. Then he kissed me," she said as if Zuko hadn't even spoken. "He kissed me," she whispered, "and do you know what I did?" she asked, louder this time, sobbing a little as she said it. "I got mad at him and ran off! He hasn't spoken to me directly since then. In fact, anytime he has to come near me, he acts almost like a koala-dog that someone has kicked." Here she broke down and cried a little bit more. "I could see it in his eyes. It wasn't just anyone who did that to him, it was me. The one he tried to tell that he loved. And I took his love and crumpled it up and just threw it on the ground. And do you know why, Zuko? It's because I was scared to death of losing him. I lost him in Ba Sing Se. It tore me apart. I couldn't bear to think of losing him again. And now, now he may never come back, and I never got the chance to tell him how much he means to me before I lost him, and I won't even have the memory of telling him I…that I - I love him!"

Zuko listened as Katara softly cried, wondering what support or advice he could offer. Several things passed through his mind, among them his own love life. The image of Mai's eyes through the portal of the interrogation cell as he closed the door on her, trying to protect her as much as to allow himself time to find Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, and Chit Sang. Then, the sight of her fighting off the guards who were cutting the gondola's cable. Did she still love him? It seemed she had some concern for him remaining, seeing as she had opposed Azula and her uncle to protect him.

He also wondered what his uncle would say. After all, Iroh was a fount of wisdom and could be counted on to give comfort and advice, even if it wasn't well understood at the time.

Finally, having seen how his uncle, Aang, Sokka, and the rest all supported one another, being a shoulder to lean upon, even going so far as to place themselves in danger for each other, Zuko felt the least he could do was to offer Katara what little encouragement he could.

As the tears continued to flow down Katara's face, a familiar raspy voice spoke up.

"I know what it's like to hurt someone you care about, someone you love." As Zuko said this, Katara looked up towards him, scrubbing her face with her sleeve.

"When I left the Fire Nation, there was one person, besides my uncle, who I really cared about. I tried to tell her what I was doing and why. I also tried to let her know that even though I cared for her deeply, I felt my destiny was to teach Aang firebending. Of course, I'm not the best at sharing my feelings, so I wrote it down and left her a letter. I saw her again at the Boiling Rock. She told me I had ripped her heart out. I tried to explain but didn't do too great a job, then I locked her into the cell and ran to join up with Sokka, Suki, and your dad."

"Wow, Zuko, that must have really gone over well," Katara said, a small smirk evident as she continued to wipe her tearstained face.

"Yeah," Zuko snorted. "The next time I saw her was when the guards were cutting the cable of the gondola we were on. She was fighting them to protect us. I guess she still loves me, in spite of my hurting her so much...Now, I have to decide what I'm going to do to let her know she has always been in my mind and my heart."

Hearing this, Katara began asking herself what she could do to let Aang know he had always been in her mind and her heart as well.

Zuko was a bit surprised as a rather teary-eyed waterbender threw herself at him, hugging him around the neck with a smile and several sniffled "thank you's".

"You're welcome, whatever it was I did," he replied. As Katara hugged him, he wondered if this was what Uncle Iroh felt like. He didn't really know what specifically, but something he said had helped the weeping girl next to him.

"I know what I have to do, now," Katara said to herself, a rather watery smile upon her face. "I have to let Aang know how much he means to me, how much my life truly revolves around him." The only problem was, would he still feel the same?

With these thoughts in mind, Katara moved apart from Zuko a little and sat down with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her knees. With her eyes ever on the horizon, she considered her need to let Aang know that she loved him back, that she wasn't confused and never had been. "Come back to me, Aang, please come back." she said softly to herself as she watched the sky.

oooOooo

Meanwhile, in the Wu Long Forest, a tired but exuberant group was loading the last of the Fire Nation troops into the hold of the lone remaining airship. Two young women were ushering them into the ship, while a single Water Tribe warrior, his leg swathed in bandages made from torn clothing and blankets and a makeshift splint, was directing them.

One of the two women, a Kyoshi warrior, called out, "Sokka, what do you want to do with the Fire, er, 'Loser Lord'?" as she pointed to a prone figure with his face planted in a puddle of his own drool.

"Hmmmm," the Water Tribe warrior winced as he shifted his injured leg, "we can't very well put him in with the rest of the troops…"

"Actually," said the other girl, who would almost pass for a life-sized porcelain doll (that is, until one took in her dirt encrusted feet), "that would be poetic justice. Let them all see who they've been following all this time."

As this discussion about what to do with the former Firelord was going on, a solitary figure was standing apart, taking in all the devastation which had occurred. What might have passed as a small cat with extra-large ears was perched on his shoulder. As the boy surveyed the damaged countryside, a frown appeared on his face, followed by a single tear that blazed a trail down his cheek. It seemed, now that he had overcome Ozai, the damaged land he saw reflected his personal life. How could he have been so stupid as to try to kiss her? How could he expect her to accept him when she could obviously have any man in the world? He'd thought she understood his feelings…hadn't she returned his kiss on the Day of Black Sun? Yet, when he tried to talk to her - and, like a fool, kissed her again at that theater on Ember Island - she had thrown it back at him and run away. Was he that hideous? Was he that unlovable? These were all thoughts swirling through his head as he stood there, pondering the devastation a single bad decision could cause.

"Aang, we're ready to go. Where is he?" Sokka queried as they finished loading the airship.

"He's over there," answered Toph, pointing to where the young Avatar stood by himself. "I'm not sure what he's doing, but he said he had to be alone for a bit."

"I'll get him," Suki said as she went to him at a lope.

"Aang, we're ready to leave… Are you ok?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice as he turned towards her, unable to hide the additional tears which had found their way down his face.

"No. I'm just wondering why…No, I mean, yeah, I-I'm ok. I'll be there in a second."

With that he turned around and, wiping his face, said, rather quietly, "Come on, Momo, it's time to go."

Suki, meanwhile, returned to Sokka and Toph, a troubled frown on her face. Sokka noticed it and started to ask her about it, but Toph beat him to it.

"Hey, Fan Girl, what's with Twinkle-Toes? I can feel from the way you're walking that something is wrong."

"I don't know, Toph. All I know for sure is that something is bothering him. He seemed so forlorn, like he'd lost something really important to him. He wasn't smiling at all. His eyes were so sad." Suki glanced back at the Airbender in question in time to see him slowly turn around and begin walking towards them, his usual light footsteps gone. In their place was a heavy tread, as if each foot weighed a ton.


	2. Chapter 2

There are several stories written by several authors (including myself) trying to fill in the "gap" and explore how Aang and Katara got past the scene in Ember Island Players to the kiss in the final episode. I was intrigued by a scene in Rast's story, "The Price of Falling", where Zuko and Iroh work to help Katara and Aang realize their love for each other is mutual. This is another offering looking at that subject….

The Return

As the sun faded from the sky and the stars started to come out, a lone figure could be seen sitting, watching the sky. Zuko came trudging up to her with food and drink.

She didn't seem to notice him at first, until he cleared his throat and sat down with the tray between them.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said as he took the towel off the tray, exposing some fruit, cold turkey-pigeon, and bread. "I brought tea, too," he added, pouring a cup for each of them.

Katara ignored the papaya (she hated papaya), taking a pear instead. She began to eat it, never taking her eyes off the horizon.

"What do you think happened to her, to Mai?" she asked as she ate the fruit.

Zuko frowned a minute as he seemed to gaze inward at some memory. "I don't know. Considering she opposed Azula, she was probably thrown into prison, if she's even_…_I don't know. I hope she was just put into prison. Her uncle is the warden there, after all."

As he said this, Zuko sighed. "I miss her so much, and I'm so afraid that she's been hurt because of me. I hope she understands why I had to do this."As Zuko was talking, a tear found its way down Katara's face.

"I thought I was being wise, telling Aang that there were more important things than having a relationship with him in the middle of this war," she said. "I never realized what I was saying. I never thought it might mean we would never have a relationship, that I could never tell him I loved him if he didn't make it back." This last came with a sob as the initial tear was joined by others, flowing freely down her face.

Zuko looked at her, compassion clearly evident on his face. "Aang will overcome my father. I know he will. It's his destiny."

"I know Aang will prevail," Katara said, her voice sounding watery through her tears. "But what if he doesn't survive? What if it takes him giving his life to overcome your father? That's what I'm most afraid of, that I will never get a chance to tell him how…how much he means to me." As she finished saying this, the moon came out from behind the clouds. Katara seemed to feel the moon's presence; she suddenly lifted her head and cried out, "Yue, please, please bring Aang back to me." Her voice fell to a whisper and she seemed to collapse from fatigue. "Please, bring Aang back to me…"

Zuko grabbed her before she hit the ground, wincing as the wounds from his battle with Azula were pulled by the stretching and exertion. He took his outer robe and folded it, laying the master waterbender's head on it, quietly telling her as he did so, "Aang will return, Katara. You are the reason he has done all of this. He would never leave you." Saying this, Zuko sat down a little further away to continue Katara's vigil.

Looking up at the moon, he reiterated the young waterbender's request. "Please, bring him back. I don't think she could continue if he doesn't…." He sighed, unable to finish the thought aloud, and continued to watch the sky.

oooOooo

As the airship limped back towards the Fire Nation, three teens were conferring amongst themselves as a fourth young teen sat apart, watching the clouds float by.

Suki watched the young airbender while she spoke to the other two. "I think whatever is wrong with Aang must have something to do with why he seemed so on edge before he left us back on Ember Island."

"You may be right about that, fan girl," said Toph as she listened as best she could with her feet (the metal and sounds of the wind seemed to interfere with her ability to "see" with earthbending). "It's hard enough to get a good read on Aang at the best of times, but right now I just can't seem to concentrate, what with all this air noise and such."

Meanwhile, the subject of their discussion was trying to meditate. Normally, he would have been able to go into a meditative state relatively easily, what with being up in the sky and the sound of the wind flowing past and the smell of clouds. Yet that was part of the problem - the smell of the clouds. They smelled of moisture, of water. They smelled just like…her. That was the reason he needed to meditate, to seek peace. His heart was beating in his chest like a bird which had been caught in a net. It seemed like it would break in two. Yet what hope did he have? He hadn't been lying when he said she was his anchor in this world. It seemed as if he had nothing left to live for without any hope of her love. All he had to look forward to was a long life of loneliness, of emptiness. It seemed as if he had saved the world only to find there was no place in this new era of peace for him. At the same time, he could no more think of harming himself than he could of ending Ozai's life. Now it seemed as if he would forever be like someone standing outside the house, looking in the window and seeing everyone else's happiness, never to experience that same happiness himself. Why was destiny doing this to him? Every other Avatar had been married. Everyone else had that special someone, the one who made them whole, to spend their lives with. There was no question about finding someone other than Katara to fill that place for Aang. Compared to her, all other girls faded into the distance. She was ingrained into his very being. How could he live without her? Maybe that was his destiny. To win the war and then to just fade away, to let the next Avatar take over.

As he contemplated this, the events of the past days finally took their toll. Aang's eyes began to close, and he slowly slipped into sleep.

oooOooo

As she slept, Katara began to dream about Aang. She saw him and his journey from afar, as one who is an observer and not a participant. She saw herself and Sokka as they found Aang. She was once again dazzled by his gray eyes, his tattoos, and his captivatingly open expression of joy and wonder. As she saw this, her thoughts turned to what Aang's children would look like. Would they have the same open expression of delight in, and love of, life? She saw Aang every time she worked with him on his waterbending, how he blushed and seemed to seek out opportunities to obtain her favor. Then her dream changed. She suddenly saw her life without Aang. The long days of drudgery stretching into even longer months and years of emptiness.

From where he was sitting, keeping vigil, Zuko heard the young waterbender whimper. He turned to look at her and saw her tracing out the pattern of an arrow on the makeshift pillow her head was reclining upon. Zuko turned back to his watch and murmured to himself, "You'd better come back, Aang. All of us would miss you, but Katara would be lost without you."

oooOooo

As Aang finally slept, he began having dreams of Katara. She seemed to be walking away from him. He would call to her, but she would never stop. She just kept walking. Then other young men showed up: Haru, Jet, nameless water tribesmen, Fire Nation nobles. All of them older than him, all better looking, all rich and debonair.

Toph, whose hearing was far better than either Sokka or Suki's, was the first to hear the softly spoken cries.

"Katara, please come back. Please don't leave me. Please, I love you." This last was even quieter than the rest.

"Hey, Suki, I think I know what's bothering Twinkletoes."

"Oh, what is it?" Suki replied.

"Not here, where Captain Boomerang might hear it. Come on over here, closer to Aang."

As the two young women neared the sleeping airbender, they saw him shudder. A few tears leaked from beneath his eyelids, then he breathed out the words in a shuddering breath so soft they almost couldn't hear them, "Katara, please don't leave me. You're my anchor. I have nothing left if you leave me…"

Suki gasped and her eyes became watery. Only her training as a warrior prevented the tears from flowing freely down her face.

Toph was made of sterner stuff. She didn't cry or cry out. Instead she simply muttered, "Ah, Twinkletoes, you have it bad." as she shook her head.


	3. Chapter 3

There are several stories written by several authors (including myself) trying to fill in the "gap" and explore how Aang and Katara got past the scene in Ember Island Players to the kiss in the final episode. I was intrigued by a scene in Rast's story, "The Price of Falling", where Zuko and Iroh work to help Katara and Aang realize their love for each other is mutual. This is another offering looking at that subject….

* * *

**The Return**

(Chapter 3)**  
**

Through the night, a young man continued his vigil, keeping watch over the young woman who was more of a sister than his own had ever been. As the young woman tossed fitfully in her sleep, her head upon a makeshift pillow, the fire prince had only half of his mind focused upon his watch. The other half was looking inward upon memories of what had been and hopes and fears of what might be.

A familiar, pale face, inscrutable to most everyone else, occupied the half of his mind that wasn't maintaining vigil. Various scenes replayed in his mind's eye, causing him to wonder what would happen once everyone was together again. Zuko knew the young waterbender beside him would be reunited with the one she loved. But what of him? He sighed, wondering if he, too, might be reunited with the girl he loved more dearly than life itself.

As he thought about the past several weeks, what had happened at Boiling Rock came to mind. Though she had declared he had broken her heart, she had come to his defense far more readily than he had any right to expect. His response had been to leave her to the not-so-tender mercies of his now defeated sibling. As he watched the horizon, Zuko saw the scene again. Mai stood impassively, her arms held by two guards, as Azula passed judgment on both her and Ty Lee. He found himself reaching out for the girl who was currently present only in his memory. His frustration at not being able to do anything to protect her rose like bile in his throat. The fact that he'd been unable to save her, even as he'd helped Sokka to save Hakoda and Suki, was like a knife in his side. He again watched the distance growing greater and greater as the gondola moved steadily away. His actions had enabled the escape to freedom for Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, Chit Sang, and Zuko, while the girl he loved was held in a less than loving embrace by a pair of guards.

A single tear escaped his golden eyes, then another, and another. A strangled whisper escaped his lips: "Mai, I'm sorry, Mai. Please forgive me. I'm sorry." The new Firelord frowned slightly as he returned to the present, wondering if he were worthy of such sacrificial love and devotion. The young man glanced at the sleeping figure next to him as she stirred in her sleep and cried out.

"Aang! Please come back," she pleaded. "I love you, Aang. Please…" She mumbled a little bit and returned to her fitful sleep once again.

Zuko went back to his watch and ruminations. Did Mai have such vivid nightmares? Was she being mistreated? Or had her uncle managed to give her some relief from the normal prison harassment by guards and prisoners? Had Mai given up her freedom because she still loved him, or had she done it on a whim? The man he had become doubted it was the latter. Mai had never been one to do something on a whim. While she was warm in her affections towards him, she had always been calculating and exact when committed to action. She knew what she was doing and what the results would be. He owed it to her that his first job, once he was crowned Firelord, was to search for her and get her released from prison. Then, he could ask her forgiveness and explain fully why he had made the decision to join Aang and his group of friends. He could only hope that she'd understand.

oooOooo

On an airship which was heading towards the Fire Nation capital, a young man dreamed as he tossed and turned in his sleep. In his dreams, he stood watching a ceremony, a sinking feeling in his chest. The bride was, of course, beautiful. The groom didn't know how lucky he was; no one could know that, except for the young man who was watching. He had always hoped it would be him up there, but that was not to be. His lot seemed to be to spend the rest of his life alone.

Every one of his friends had gone their own separate ways. Sokka and Suki had married and had children. Zuko and Mai were married. Toph was now the head of Bei Fong Enterprises and had many suitors from around the world vying for her hand. And Katara…It was her wedding he had just attended. She had married a rich young noble from the Earth Kingdom. He, himself, had once proposed to her, and she had let him down as easy as possible. He could still hear her talking to her brother, "Aang just asked me to marry him. He's a cute little guy, just like Momo. But he's not my type. He's too young, too immature, too much like a little brother." As she said this, he'd turned and quietly walked away, his heart heavy in his chest. Why had he ever thought he had a chance with her? She was beautiful, but he was just Aang. Yes, he was the Avatar, but all that meant was that he had a burden to carry. A burden, it seemed, that he would have to carry alone. He would have to be content with her friendship, if she could even bear to suffer his presence enough to offer that.

Tears began to course down his face again as he considered all the rest of his days, empty of love, devoid of companionship. The only people who would come around would be those who wanted something. None of them would really know him, nor would they care. All they wanted was their problems solved, and he was the problem solver. There was no one who cared about him as a person, someone with dreams, and fears, and all of the other trappings that made him human. He had once thought she might care for him that way, but he knew now that his fate didn't include being loved or being able to give his love. That being the case, it would be better to just allow himself to fade away. While he thought about this, his heartbeat began to slow, as if he were entering his meditative state.

"Aang"

Who was calling his name?

"Aang"

He looked around and saw he was in the spirit world. Why was he there?

"Aang" the voice called again. Then he saw who it was. _Roku!_

"Aang, come. I have something to show and to tell you."

The words were scarcely finished before Roku strode purposely away from Aang. The young airbender rose and followed, catching up quickly, though Roku's stride was longer.

"Do you remember I told you 'love is hard when you are young?'"

"Yeah, and I said you didn't have to tell me twice."

"I would like you to look at our shared past again." Saying this, Roku parted the sands of time, and Aang again saw Roku as a young man, falling flat on his face, trying to catch Tah Min's attention. He saw Roku trying to talk to Tah Min, only to become so tongue-tied he could hardly speak. Finally, there was Roku asking Tah Min to marry him, followed by the wedding itself, all over again.

Tears began forming in Aang's eyes as he watched this. It seemed to him, at first, that Roku was rubbing salt into the raw wounds of his heart. Then, as if a voice of reason broke through to him, he realized that it would be totally unlike Roku to do so. "Why are you showing me all of this, Roku?"

"Aang, do you remember what Avatar Yangchen told you about why the Avatar MUST be born among men and live a life as a human rather than an all-powerful spirit?"

"Yes, she said we, er, I have to experience all the emotions and the life of a normal human in order to be the wise Avatar I am meant to be."

"Exactly. That is why every Avatar loves and marries that one person who helps them attain balance within themselves."

"So, do you mean that I will marry someday? But, Roku, I don't want to marry anyone else but Katara. I love her. I can't tear that love out of myself. I couldn't even do it for Guru Pathik when he was teaching me to open my chakras. How can I do it now?"

"Aang, no one is asking you to lose your love of Katara. Just know that true love wins out in the end."

Roku faded away as he spoke the last sentence, leaving the final words echoing behind him, and Aang began to wake up. His tears were still fresh on his face, but there was something new in his heart, something he had almost lost completely. Hope, to fuel the flame of his love.

oooOooo

As night began to give way to day, Zuko felt a new energy course through his body. He arose from his half slumber and looked to the East. The sun was calling to him. Standing and facing the East as the first rays of the sun began showing above the horizon, he went through his morning ritual. A new day - in fact, a new age - had begun.

Closing his eyes, he felt the renewed energy coursing through his body. All his thoughts and concerns of the previous night began to quiet as his internal fire was renewed. Taking several deep breaths, he opened his eyes, then opened them even further. In the distance he could see a single black dot approaching. As it neared, it became apparent it was a single war balloon. There was no question in his mind as to who was in the balloon. Had there been more than one, it would have been his father. However, with only one balloon, it could only be… He glanced towards Katara, finding that she had awakened and was greeting the new day in her own way.

oooOooo

While the soon-to-be Firelord was answering the call of the sun, Katara began stirring, too. She did not look as though she had rested well, which was indeed the truth. Her sleep had been restless, and it showed in her tearstained face.

Brushing her hair, she considered the day ahead. Today she would discover whether Aang was coming back. Today she would be able to let him know of her love for him and her deep regret for her words and actions. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

Many thanks to my Beta, Liselle129. Ma'am, as always, your assistance has made this story what it is.

To those fans who are reading this story, I am sorry about being so late in posting this chapter. Between writer's block and work (especially work) I have struggled to present something worthy of your attention and readership.


	4. Chapter 4: Author's Note

Once again I find I must apologize for being late in posting an update to this story. Between a hospital stay (totally unexpected), work, and losing the transmission on my car I have been rather busy. I am back and promise I will be posting the next chapter soon. So, to all my readers, you might say this is a place holder until then. My many apologies.

-arizony-


	5. Chapter 5

There are several stories written by several authors (including myself) trying to fill in the "gap" and explore how Aang and Katara got past the scene in Ember Island Players to the kiss in the final episode. I was intrigued by a scene in Rast's story, "The Price of Falling", where Zuko and Iroh work to help Katara and Aang realize their love for each other is mutual. This is another offering looking at that subject….

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

A young warrior sat staring out at the sky as he piloted his ship. The last couple of days had taken their toll on him. He and his friends had just completed a quest unlike any other ever attempted throughout history. During the process, he had protected and saved one friend while being saved by another. They had witnessed the end of a war which had been waged for over one hundred years. As he guided the ship through the air, he pondered the past several months, thinking about what had occurred as well as the people he had met along the way and those who had accompanied him on the journey. There was one face which kept recurring, and another which seemed to accompany the first.

Aang…the last airbender…the Avatar. Sokka and his sister, Katara, had rescued him from an iceberg where he'd been sealed for a century-long sleep. As Sokka gazed at Aang's face in his mind, another face, that of his sister, seemed to morph alongside Aang's. He had noticed they seemed to be best friends, but he had just attributed that to them being close to the same age. For some time, however, he had begun to suspect that there was more than just friendship budding between the two. The way they both looked at each other, the way they would seek to comfort each other, even at the expense of their individual comfort. The rest of his team was checking on one of their members, who was going through a hard time. They thought he had ignored their absence, but he wasn't as oblivious as they believed. Just as he knew that Aang had a thing about Katara and that she was obviously in love with Aang. Now why had that thought come to mind…?

"How's he doing?" Sokka asked as Suki and Toph returned from checking on Aang.

The two girls in question gave a sudden look at the back of Sokka's head, almost as if he had two heads. Neither one had thought he would notice their leaving momentarily while they checked on Aang.

"He's doing okay," replied Suki.

"Yeah, ol' Twinkletoes is going to be alright. Nothing a little nap won't cure." Toph added.

"Is he still worried about Katara?" asked Sokka.

At this, both girls gave a start. Sokka still wasn't looking at them, yet he _knew_ where they had been and what had been going on.

"Y-yeah, Sokka. He's ok, and I think he's dreaming about Katara," Suki stammered as she glanced towards Toph. The blind earthbender's face showed an unnaturally quizzical expression as she tried to figure out what had happened to the Sokka they all knew and loved ("Well, heh-heh, tolerated," Toph thought to herself).

"I hope they sort that out soon." Sokka half mused to himself. "Hey, Suki, could you take the wheel? My leg is killing me."

As the brunette moved to the wheel and Sokka hobbled to the windows, he suddenly brightened up.

"Look, there's the Fire Nation's capital city," Sokka exclaimed excitedly, almost falling down as he let go of the window sill.

oooOooo

A young woman was brushing her hair with deep even strokes when she stopped for some reason. What was happening? Then she realized there was something going on. The young man behind her wasn't moving, yet he seemed to be intently watching something. She turned to find out what had captured his attention.

"Zuko, what…" and she stopped, for she followed where his eyes were focused and saw it, too. An airship coming towards them. Zuko didn't seem to be on guard, so it probably wasn't a threat. As she processed this, her heart, which had been troubled for the last couple of days, seemed to suddenly be at rest, as if all was right with the world. "Aang…" she breathed quietly, dropping the brush she had only recently been using on her hair.

Zuko turned from where he was watching the airship approach, only to see Katara suddenly drop her hairbrush as her face reflected several emotions at once. First fear and confusion, then relief, and, finally, an ecstasy which made his heart skip a beat. He knew what she was feeling…it was the same feeling that had calmed him during the night as he received some kind of assurance that Mai was okay.

Katara moved up near Zuko and joined him in watching the airship as it neared. "They're back." She turned to him with a rather large smile on her face. "Zuko, they're back!"

With those words, Katara turned and ran towards the field behind them, the field where the airship seemed to be heading. Zuko followed behind her at a somewhat more sedate pace, yet he couldn't help but catch some of her excitement. These teens - Katara, Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph - had become like family to him. No, not _like_ family; they had accepted him into their family. They WERE his family, more so than anyone but his mother, uncle Iroh and Mai had ever been. A feeling unlike any he had ever felt before welled up in his chest. Pride, joy, love. It was all of these and more. His family was returning, and they had been victorious. For the first time, he could truly allow himself to look at the future in a new light. It was bright, and the new day reflected the new age which had, itself, just dawned. A smile which had seldom been seen on his face lent a new lightness to his feet as he began to run, too. Still, he was nowhere near fast enough to catch up to Katara as the airship landed.

oooOooo

As Sokka directed the airship to the field he had spied just outside the Fire Nation palace, he noted two figures running towards them. One, her hair flying behind her, was well ahead of the second, who was just now beginning to run, too. They both seemed to have smiles on their faces, so, obviously, they had completed their part of the mission.

While Sokka directed Suki on where to touch the airship down, another figure began to stir. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Coming to full consciousness, he realized that there was a change in the feeling of the airship. As he arose from his resting place near one bulkhead, Aang looked around. He saw Toph looking towards him with a toothy grin as she greeted him, "Good morning, Twinkletoes. Good to see you decided to join us again."

In the background, Aang could hear Sokka directing Suki, who was at the wheel of the airship, to reduce the speed and lift. As she did so, he felt a bump. It was obvious they were on the ground. Looking out the window, the airbender saw the palace walls in the distance. There was a plume of smoke rising from within the walls of the royal city. No other signs of life came from that direction. Within his heart of hearts, though, Aang knew that Katara was near. He had no idea how he could know that; he just did. He had to face her, to give her the space and time she needed to figure things out for herself. He owed her that. Roku was right. If there was any chance for love between them, he had to allow it to grow in its own time. Just because _he_ knew that he loved Katara didn't mean that Katara loved him, but he held hope that she could love him in time. He just had to give her the chance to find out if she loved him or not.

oooOooo

Outside the airship, two figures came to a stop. Though they had both seen similar ships on the Day of Black Sun, it was still rather impressive to be this close to one on the ground. Katara stopped, and a pensive look came over her face as she seemed to remember something. _'What am I going to tell him? What will I do if he refuses to talk with me?'_ It was with these thoughts running through her mind that Katara watched as the airship settled to earth in the field, and the gangplank lowered to allow those within to debark.

Toph was first, plowing into the ground as if she had been at sea for months. "Earth! Oh, sweet earth!" She stopped suddenly and looked in the direction of Katara and Zuko.

"Sugar Queen! Fire Britches!"

Both Zuko and Katara brightened as Toph ran towards them. Their family was back together again. This young girl who had become like a younger sister to both of them seemed unhurt by the experiences they had all come through.

As she ran towards them, two more figures descended from the airship. While Toph collided with Zuko, Katara saw that Suki was supporting Sokka who seemed to be limping as he came down the ramp. She barely had time to wonder what had happened as she felt Toph's arms uncharacteristically envelope her in a bone crushing hug, followed by a rather loving tap to her shoulder.

Katara didn't have time to do much more than wince about that when she heard Sokka cry out, "Katara!" as he and Suki moved as swiftly towards them as his injured leg would allow.

Katara was elated to see that her brother and his girlfriend had survived. Yet she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. The one person she most wanted to see still hadn't come out of the airship. She greeted Sokka and Suki but found her heart wasn't really in it. _"Is he here? Did he decide to just leave and not come back because he thought she didn't care? He wasn't-he couldn't be-" _

oooOooo

As Katara was contemplating these things, a young airbender, the youngest fully realized Avatar in history, was nervously contemplating what he should do. Should he nonchalantly step on down the ramp? Or was that too self aggrandizing? Should he quietly move down the ramp, then go off to meditate by himself? He wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure what he should do when he saw Katara. He wanted her to know he was willing to give her the space she wanted, but he wasn't sure if his going over to talk with her and tell her would be appreciated.

While Aang was considering his options, a certain waterbender was making her way towards the airship, almost as if drawn by a magnet. VERY slowly, yet very surely, she was moving towards it.

Suddenly, Sokka was by her side. "Katara, I think he's waiting for you. I don't know what happened between you two before the final battle, but I think he doesn't want to hurt you or make you think he wants something you are unwilling or unable to give him."

Katara looked at her sibling, her mouth gaping open as she contemplated what he had said. _Since when had Sokka gotten the idea she and Aang might have feelings about each other? Oh, yeah, even Zuko knew._

With these thoughts, Katara turned towards the airship again and began walking towards it, a little more surely, but still with some hesitation.

oooOooo

As Aang moved towards the ramp, he saw one figure detach itself from the group and move towards the airship. He would recognize it anywhere. It was Katara. She seemed to move slowly towards the ramp, yet inexorably, even as the tides are moved by the moon. He stood watching as she moved closer. Then, it seemed almost as if a shudder went through her. She came to a momentary standstill, looking straight at him. Then, almost as if there was a magnetic pull, she began moving more swiftly and surely towards him, her eyes never leaving his form.

oooOooo

Katara's heart caught in her throat as she caught sight of Aang. He was standing there with a contemplative look on his face, yet she could still see some of the same hurt she had imagined while she and Zuko had been waiting for the other four teens' return. She slowed momentarily, then continued on. She was determined that Aang shouldn't have to wait any longer. She was determined that he would know just how she felt. With this in mind she continued on, her eyes focused on Aang, seemingly freezing him where he stood. She slowly climbed up the ramp, her eyes never leaving his.

* * *

_First, let me say I am sorry it has taken so long to update. I was going through a long period of severe writer's block. More importantly, though, I received a promotion and had to pack and move across country (from Northern Utah to Southern Louisiana). Somewhere along the way, I realized I had met my own Katara, and she agreed to marry me. So, here we are, at the real chapter 4. Oh, yes, I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters. (EXCEPT my own personal Katara - I love you Deb. :o)) ) _


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